March 2020
With the (built up over many months) excitement and enthusiasm of becoming Van Owners, our 10% deposit paid, we set about waiting for the necessary MOT and habitation checks to be carried out. There were a couple of odds and ends needed- a new skylight, a small crack in the shower tray which had to be sealed and recoated, full service and cambelt change. We discovered on handover that Lulu has had three cambelts over 14 years, and 26,000 miles, good news! And, in March 2020, preparing Lulu for van life began in earnest.
Then, after a week of waiting for a delivery date, LOCKDOWN HAPPENED! Cheers Boris
Preparing Lulu- Planning and wishing!
Ah, well! We’ll spend the next couple of weeks browsing and creating a shopping/wish list. As the list grew and evolved, like a living, breathing entity, Mags realised that owning a motorhome didn’t end with those words. Initially, this was going to be a little expensive…..
I, on the other hand, realised that ALL my birthdays, and Christmases, had come at once, and Jeff Bezos, and his teams of couriers and drivers, were going to be retiring early thanks to us! I learned recently that Jeff’s wealth increased by $10 million in June. I’m waiting for my thank you card and an invitation to the Amazon Christmas shindig!
Having been avid followers of many vanlife travel vloggers and bloggers, we had an idea of what we wished to bestow upon (and within) our soon to be beloved Lulu. We looked at products to enhance her, to bring her into the 21st century, and to make our travels and lives easier.
I remember my dad telling me when I bought my first car, a £200 mini in 1985, not to spend money on anything but the engine in the first instance. “Get the engine right first son, then add bits as you go along”. “OK Dad” I thought, as I put the fluffy dice, wheel arches, stereo, and 8″ steering wheel into my red and blue pride and joy!
With my dads sage words of wisdom in mind, I set about creating our wish list!
The Wish List!
THE BORING STUFF: Insurance and breakdown cover. Caravanguard and Green Flag came up trumps (after some negotiating with Green Flag – check their telephone quote against their online ‘new’ business price, then ring them back!!https://caravanguard.co.uk
FIAMMA BIKE RACK: We have owned matching Land rover bikes since the inception of the Cycle To Work scheme. Mags has ridden hers around four times in that time, always in Pembrey Country Park, or around our farm yard. Never having learned to ride as a child she lacks the confidence to ride on the road in traffic. It is something she is desperate to do, so we will be taking our bikes wherever possible
VAN MUSIC SYSTEM: We love music. We have to have music in our van, in our life, and on our travels. Any genre will do, from reggae and Gregorian chant to French Gypsy jazz and Bach, it doesn’t matter. Our musical taste is as eclectic as it comes. We will need to update Lulus basic system to a usb/ CD/ Bluetooth unit, with Bluetooth speakers, and an Amazon Dot, just so Jeff doesn’t think we’ve forgotten him.https:/amazon.co.uk
VAN WI-FI ROUTER: We need to stay connected to the outside world. We will be taking the plunge and adding a Mi-Fi router and 4G aerial set-up.https:/motorhomewifi.com
SOLAR PANEL: We will need to charge our batteries, leisure, starter and human! We eventually intend to be off grid as much as possible, rather than paying upwards of £20.00 per night for campsite fees.
LEISURE BATTERY (IES) Unaware of the age and overall condition of the 80aH battery that is fitted to Lulu, we want to upgrade her to a minimum of 105aH, to make the best possible use of the solar power we will be generating.
STARTER BATTERY: We didn’t actually realise we wanted/needed one of these until a couple of weeks after Lulu arrived, when the battery gave up the ghost, along with all of its charging capabilities.
B-B CHARGER: We need to make sure that the new starter battery is kept fully charged via the solar panel, especially when we are staying off grid for a couple of days so, obviously, we will need a battery to battery charger.https://www.camperbros.com
LED LIGHTING: The addition of warm white strip lighting, and LED bulbs throughout the van (along with Mags’ essential fairy lights!) keep costs down, and reduce the amount of 12v power we will use
LPG SYSTEM: Again to reduce running costs, and to make obtaining gas in Europe easier, we really want a refillable gas system. We were initially looking at an underslung tank but, with the position of Lulus handbrake cable limiting the possible tank size to 6Kg, we found that a single refillable bottle could hold the same amount of gas, for half the price of the kit, and I could fit it myself.https://www.gasit.co.uk
REVERSING/REAR VIEW CAMERA: Speaks for itself! I have driven many vehicles over the years, and am happy to do so. Over the years I have driven 2-seater sporty numbers to 4x4s’, forklifts and dumper trucks, lawnmowers and excavators. There is something about reversing a van, with no view of the rear end, that makes me nervous! It will come with practice, but until it does I will take all the help I can get, thank you!
As you can see, dear readers, all of these “wants” are actually necessities as far as our Lulu is concerned! I will post reviews of our mountain of purchases over the coming weeks and months, as we get used to their pros and cons, but until then……….cue Amazon, eBay, et al, and happy shopping!